Seems to be a fairly even 50/50 split on RTwP vs Turn-Based. Baldur's Gate 2 is one of my top-three favorite games of all time... I've played it and its predecessor hundreds of hours in single-player and multi-player (yes, I'm one of those people who played with their spouse over a LAN connection). Coming from the Gold Box games that came before (and which I truly loved), RTwP ALWAYS felt like a down-grade meant to align with the popularity of real-time strategy games like Command and Conquer and Warcraft. And, I loved the game despite the frantic, flaky combat.
I believe WoTC picked Larian fully knowing they were getting the "Turn-Based Combat Specialists"... the ones who have made it work and work well. They know that, when it really comes down to it, D&D is a turn-based system based on initiative rolls. Make it real-time and no matter how good you are at micro-managing your six-person party (and I did get VERY good at that, I can say), it will never, EVER replace the tactical efficiency of turn-based and, therefore, will never truly feel like D&D.
That's my two cents. I know there are good arguments for the alternative.... as I've read on various forums over the past 24 hours. However, I don't abide the argument that "it's Baldur's Gate, so it must be RTwP."
And, for the record, I think the third option: hybrid turn-based/real-time is probably my least favorite choice. Pick a design and go with it, please.
